7 Things You Should Know Before Watching HGTV's 'Good Bones'

At this point, you've probably heard of HGTV's hit show, Good Bones, even if you've never caught an episode. It's racking up 13 million viewers per episode, making it one of the network's breakout hits — and a likely contender to steal the throne as its must-watch show, now that Fixer Upperhas ended.

New episodes air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST, but before you dive into the third season, here's exactly what you need to know about the show.

Facebook/Two Chicks And A Hammer/Good Bones

It's Based On A Mother-Daughter Duo's Real-Life Business.

Good Bones isn't a late-'90s boyband, manufactured via casting calls in Orlando. The show focuses on Karen Laine and her daughter, Mina Starsiak, who launched a home renovation business called Two Chicks And A Hammer back in 2007. They started out small, updating about two to three houses a year in their Indianapolis hometown, when they eventually caught HGTV's attention.

Laine And Starsiak Weren't Always In The Home Reno Biz.

After graduating from Indiana University with her bachelor's degree in general studies, Starsiak wasn't sure what she wanted to do next. She worked part-time as a waitress to pay the bills as she soul-searched. "I didn’t want to work 9 to 5 in a cubicle, but I wanted to do something grown up, because all my friends were getting accounting jobs and doing big kid things," she told People. "So, I decided to buy a house."

At the time, Laine was working as a defense attorney, and she co-signed her daughter's home loan. Then started helping her upgrade the fixer upper.

"We just learned as we went," Starsiak told the magazine. "I read directions on how to install flooring and watched online videos about putting up tile. It was really trial and error."

The duo enjoyed it so much they decided to launch their business, keeping their day jobs until their workload was steady enough to focus on rebuilding homes full-time.

HGTV Fame Didn't Happen Overnight.

It may seem like Laine and Starsiak have come out of nowhere, taking over the HGTV scene, but that's not actually the case. The mother and daughter had been renovating homes for seven years before High Noon Entertainment — a production company that works on many HGTV projects — came calling.

Facebook/Two Chicks And A Hammer/Good Bones

'Good Bones' Originally Had A Very Different Name.

In May 2015, Starsiak and Laine's pilot aired. It was called Two Chicks And A Hammer, based on their business, and after it debuted, the network ordered more episodes, changing the name to Good Bones. Filming started almost immediately — just two months after Two Chicks And A Hammer first aired!

People Don't Always Keep The Furniture Shown In Renovations.

You may see a fully furnished home at the end of each episode, but that doesn't mean that's what the homeowner's space actually looks like after camera crews have left. The home buyer has the option of buying the furniture Starsiak and Laine used to style each room, but they don't have to, according to Two Chicks And A Hammer's website.

That soon proved true when producers went to see a house the Two Chicks team was finishing up. They were closing on the house in 10 days, and that morning, all of the interior doors had been delivered. Only every single one was wrong. Oh, and that same day, they had to call an ambulance after a painter fell off the roof, injuring his ankle.

Michael KovacGetty Images

“There are things that happen that you will swear are manufactured and I promise they’re not,” Laine said.

They've Witnessed All Kinds Of Craziness — Including The Paranormal Sort.

Starsiak and Laine have uncovered all sorts of unexpected disasters and less-than-pleasant surprises in abandoned homes, though they're the most casual about something best suited for late-night ghost stories: "Poltergeists happen," Laine told Peopleearlier this month.

Candace Braun DavisonDeputy EditorCandace Braun Davison writes, edits, and produces lifestyle content that ranges from celebrity features to roll-up-your-sleeves DIYs, all while relentlessly pursuing the noblest of causes: the quest for the world's best chocolate chip cookie.

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